Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| Tennessee General Assembly | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 8, 2019 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker of the House | |
Speaker pro tempore | Pat Marsh, (R) since January 12, 2021 |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 99 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Authority | Article III, Tennessee Constitution |
| Salary | $19,009/year per diem employee benefits[1] travel reimbursement |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 3, 2020 (99 seats) |
Next election | November 8, 2022 (99 seats) |
| Redistricting | Legislative Control |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| House of Representatives Chamber Tennessee State Capitol Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Website | |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | |
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.
Constitutional requirements
According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consist of 99 members elected for two-year terms. In every even-numbered year, elections for state representative are conducted simultaneously with the elections for U.S. Representative and other offices; the primary election being held on the first Thursday in August. Seats which become vacant through death or resignation are filled by the county commission (or metropolitan county council) of the home county of the member vacating the seat; if more than a year remains in the term a special election is held for the balance of the term.
Districts
Members are elected from single-member districts. The districts are traditionally numbered consecutively from east to west and north to south across the state; however, in recent redistricting this convention has not always been strictly adhered to, despite a constitutional provision requiring districts to be numbered consecutively.
Districts are required to be reapportioned every ten years following the federal census in order to be of substantially equal population. However, from 1902 until 1962, the General Assembly ignored this provision. It was estimated that by that point that some districts in the Memphis area had approximately ten times the population of some in rural areas. In 1962 this issue was taken to court. Despite U.S. courts having traditionally declined to rule on such issues, the US Supreme Court opted to hear this case and ruled that the legislature had to comply with the state constitution, as its failure to do so was in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (see Baker v. Carr). Subsequent litigation has further refined the rules regarding this; in the late 1990s a majority-black district in rural West Tennessee was required to be created.
The 1960s redistricting was credited by some observers with creating the first Republican majority in the Tennessee House since Reconstruction in 1968; this situation lasted only until the next election in 1970. 1970 also marked the first election of a Republican governor in a half century and saw both houses of the legislature begin to assert themselves as a counterbalance to executive authority; prior to this time legislators had not had their own staffs or even their own offices and were largely at the mercy of what the governor's staff chose to tell them and in many ways were often something of a "rubber stamp."
Speaker of the House
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House. The Speaker is elected to a two-year term at the beginning of the 1st half of each session of the Tennessee General Assembly. Additionally, the Speaker is second in line for succession to the governorship, after the Speaker of the Senate, in the event of such need. The Speaker appoints members to all committees as well. Even though the Speaker does not have to make committee assignments proportional to the party composition, usually that discretion is used when determining such. Usually, consideration of the abilities, preferences, party representation, and seniority of the members are taken into account. The chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary of each committee also are chosen by the Speaker and must be given the same considerations in their selection. The Speaker is a voting member of all standing committees of the House, as is the Speaker pro Tempore. The Speaker also serves as co-chairperson of the Joint Legislative Services Committee and must approve, in concurrence with the Speaker of the Senate, the directors of the offices of Legislative Information Services, Legal Services, Legislative Administration, and Legislative Budget Analysis. Additionally, the Speaker is in charge of all facilities, professional and clerical staff, and custodians and security personnel of the House.[2]
The current speaker is Cameron Sexton, who represents Tennessee's 25th district.[3]
Composition of the 112th General Assembly
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | |||
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||
| End of previous legislature | 72 | 26 | 99 | 0 |
| Beginning of 112th General Assembly | 73 | 26 | 99 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 73.7% | 26.3% | ||
Officers[4]
- Speaker of the House: Cameron Sexton (R)
- Speaker Pro Tempore: Pat Marsh (R)
- Deputy Speaker: Curtis Johnson (R)
| Majority Party (R) | Leadership Position | Minority Party (D) |
| William Lamberth | Leader | Karen Camper |
| Ron Gant | Assistant Leader | Harold M. Love Jr. |
| Jeremy Faison | Caucus Chairperson | Vincent Dixie |
| Brandon Ogles | Caucus Vice Chairperson | Bob Freeman |
| Johnny Garrett | Whip | Jason Powell |
| Paul Sherrell | Floor Leader | Bill Beck |
| Michele Carringer | Caucus Secretary | London Lamar |
| Mark Cochran | Caucus Treasurer | Jesse Chism |
Members
| District | Name | Party | Residence | Counties Represented |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Crawford | Republican | Kingsport | Part of Sullivan |
| 2 | Bud Hulsey | Republican | Kingsport | Part of Sullivan |
| 3 | Scotty Campbell | Republican | Blountville | Johnson, and parts of Carter and Sullivan County |
| 4 | John Holsclaw Jr. | Republican | Johnson City | Unicoi and part of Carter County |
| 5 | David B. Hawk | Republican | Greeneville | Part of Greene County |
| 6 | James Van Huss | Republican | Jonesborough | Part of Washington County |
| 7 | Rebecca Alexander | Republican | Jonesborough | Part of Washington County |
| 8 | Jerome Moon | Republican | Maryville | Part of Blount County |
| 9 | Gary Hicks | Republican | Rogersville | Hancock and Hawkins Counties |
| 10 | Rick Eldridge | Republican | Morristown | Hamblen County |
| 11 | Jeremy Faison | Republican | Cosby | Cocke and parts of Jefferson and Greene Counties |
| 12 | Dale Carr | Republican | Sevierville | Part of Sevier County |
| 13 | Gloria Johnson | Democratic | Knoxville | Part of Knox County |
| 14 | Jason Zachary | Republican | Knoxville | Part of Knox County |
| 15 | Sam McKenzie | Democratic | Knoxville | Part of Knox County |
| 16 | Bill Dunn | Republican | Knoxville | Part of Knox County |
| 17 | Andrew Farmer | Republican | Sevierville | Part of Jefferson and Sevier Counties |
| 18 | Eddie Mannis | Republican | Knoxville | Part of Knox County |
| 19 | Dave Wright | Republican | Corryton | Part of Knox County |
| 20 | Bob Ramsey | Republican | Maryville | Part of Blount County |
| 21 | Lowell Russell | Republican | Vonore | Parts of Loudon and Monroe Counties |
| 22 | Dan Howell | Republican | Cleveland | Meigs, Polk and part of Bradley Counties |
| 23 | Mark Cochran | Republican | Englewood | McMinn and part of Monroe County |
| 24 | Mark Hall | Republican | Cleveland | Part of Bradley County |
| 25 | Cameron Sexton | Republican | Crossville | Cumberland, Van Buren, and part of Putnam County |
| 26 | Robin Smith | Republican | Hixson | Part of Hamilton County |
| 27 | Patsy Hazlewood | Republican | Signal Mountain | Part of Hamilton County |
| 28 | Yusuf Hakeem | Democratic | Chattanooga | Part of Hamilton County |
| 29 | Mike Carter | Republican | Ooltewah | Part of Hamilton County |
| 30 | Esther Helton | Republican | East Ridge | Part of Hamilton County |
| 31 | Ron Travis | Republican | Dayton | Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Rhea and part of Roane County |
| 32 | Kent Calfee | Republican | Kingston | Part of Roane and Loudon Counties |
| 33 | John Ragan | Republican | Oak Ridge | Part of Anderson County |
| 34 | Tim Rudd | Republican | Murfreesboro | Part of Rutherford County |
| 35 | Jerry Sexton | Republican | Bean Station | Claiborne, Grainger and part of Union County |
| 36 | Dennis Powers | Republican | Jacksboro | Campbell and parts of Union and Anderson Counties |
| 37 | Charlie Baum | Republican | Murfreesboro | Part of Rutherford County |
| 38 | Kelly Keisling | Republican | Byrdstown | Macon, Clay, Pickett, Scott, and part of Fentress County |
| 39 | Iris Rudder | Republican | Winchester | Moore and parts of Franklin and Marion Counties |
| 40 | Terri Lynn Weaver | Republican | Lancaster | Smith, Trousdale and parts of DeKalb and Sumner Counties |
| 41 | John Windle | Democratic | Livingston | Morgan, Jackson and Overton and part of Fentress County |
| 42 | Ryan Williams | Republican | Cookeville | Part of Putnam County |
| 43 | Paul Sherrell | Republican | Sparta | White, Grundy and part of Warren Counties |
| 44 | William Lamberth | Republican | Portland | Part of Sumner County |
| 45 | Johnny Garrett | Republican | Goodlettsville | Part of Sumner County |
| 46 | Clark Boyd | Republican | Lebanon | Cannon, and parts of Wilson and DeKalb Counties |
| 47 | Rush Bricken | Republican | Tullahoma | Coffee and part of Warren County |
| 48 | Bryan Terry | Republican | Murfreesboro | Part of Rutherford County |
| 49 | Mike Sparks | Republican | Smyrna | Part of Rutherford County |
| 50 | Bo Mitchell | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 51 | Bill Beck | Democratic | Madison | Part of Davidson County |
| 52 | Mike Stewart | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 53 | Jason Powell | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 54 | Vincent Dixie | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 55 | John Ray Clemmons | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 56 | Bob Freeman | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 57 | Susan Lynn | Republican | Mt. Juliet | Part of Wilson County |
| 58 | Harold M. Love Jr. | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 59 | Jason Potts | Democratic | Nashville | Part of Davidson County |
| 60 | Darren Jernigan | Democratic | Old Hickory | Part of Davidson County |
| 61 | Brandon Ogles | Republican | Franklin | Part of Williamson County |
| 62 | Pat Marsh | Republican | Shelbyville | Bedford and part of Lincoln County |
| 63 | Glen Casada | Republican | Franklin | Part of Williamson County |
| 64 | Scott Cepicky | Republican | Culleoka | Part of Maury County |
| 65 | Sam Whitson | Republican | Franklin | Part of Williamson County |
| 66 | Sabi "Doc" Kumar | Republican | Springfield | Robertson County |
| 67 | Jason Hodges | Democratic | Clarksville | Part of Montgomery County |
| 68 | Curtis Johnson | Republican | Clarksville | Part of Montgomery County |
| 69 | Michael Curcio | Republican | Dickson | Hickman and parts of Maury and Dickson Counties |
| 70 | Clay Doggett | Republican | Pulaski | Giles and part of Lawrence County |
| 71 | David Byrd | Republican | Waynesboro | Hardin, Lewis, Wayne and part of Lawrence Counties |
| 72 | Kirk Haston | Republican | Lobelville | Henderson, Chester, Decatur and Perry Counties |
| 73 | Chris Todd | Republican | Humboldt | Part of Madison County |
| 74 | Jay Reedy | Republican | Erin | Houston, Humphreys and part of Montgomery County |
| 75 | Bruce Griffey | Republican | Paris | Henry, Benton and Stewart Counties |
| 76 | Tandy Darby | Republican | Dresden | Weakley, and parts of Obion and Carroll Counties |
| 77 | Rusty Grills | Republican | Newbern | Dyer, Lake and part of Obion County |
| 78 | Mary Littleton | Republican | Dickson | Cheatham and part of Dickson Counties |
| 79 | Curtis Halford | Republican | Dyer | Gibson and part of Carroll County |
| 80 | Johnny Shaw | Democratic | Bolivar | Parts of Hardeman and Madison Counties |
| 81 | Debra Moody | Republican | Covington | Tipton County |
| 82 | Chris Hurt | Republican | Halls | Lauderdale, Crockett and Haywood Counties |
| 83 | Mark White | Republican | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 84 | Joe Towns | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 85 | Jesse Chism | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 86 | Barbara Cooper | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 87 | Karen Camper | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 88 | Larry Miller | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 89 | Justin Lafferty | Republican | Knoxville | Part of Knox County |
| 90 | Torrey Harris | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 91 | London Lamar | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 92 | Rick Tillis | Republican | Lewisburg | Marshall and parts of Franklin, Lincoln, and Marion Counties |
| 93 | G. A. Hardaway | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 94 | Ron Gant | Republican | Rossville | Fayette, McNairy and part of Hardeman Counties |
| 95 | Kevin Vaughan | Republican | Collierville | Part of Shelby County |
| 96 | Dwayne Thompson | Democratic | Cordova | Part of Shelby County |
| 97 | John Gillespie | Republican | Bartlett | Part of Shelby County |
| 98 | Antonio Parkinson | Democratic | Memphis | Part of Shelby County |
| 99 | Tom Leatherwood | Republican | Arlington | Part of Shelby County |
House Committees
Committees, subcommittees, and their leadership for the 112th General Assembly are as follows:[5]
| Committees | Chair | Vice Chair | Subcommittees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Natural Resources | Rep. Curtis Halford (R) | Rep. Rusty Grills (R) | Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chair: Rep. Chris Todd (R) |
| Calendar and Rules | Rep. Jason Zachary (R) | Rep. Lowell Russell (R) | |
| Civil Justice | Rep. Mike Carter (R) | Rep. Darren Jernigan (D) | Civil Justice, Chair: Rep. Andrew Farmer (R)
Children and Family Affairs, Chair: Rep. Mary Littleton (R) |
| Commerce | Rep. Kevin Vaughn (R) | Rep. Rush Bricken (R) | Banking and Consumer Affairs, Chair: Rep. Dennis Powers (R)
Business and Utilities, Chair: Rep. Clark Boyd (R) |
| Criminal Justice | Rep. Michael Curcio (R) | Rep. Jerry Sexton (R) | Criminal Justice, Chair: Rep. Clay Doggett (R) |
| Education Administration | Rep. Mark White (R) | Rep. Chris Hurt (R) | K-12, Chair: Rep. Kirk Haston (R)
Higher Education, Chair: Rep. Justin Lafferty (R) |
| Education Instruction | Rep. Debra Moody (R) | Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R) | Education Instruction, Chair: Rep. Scott Cepicky (R) |
| Finance, Ways, and Means | Rep. Patsy Hazelwood (R) | Rep. Charlie Baum (R) | Finance, Ways, and Means, Chair: Rep. Gary. Hicks (R)
Appropriations , Chair: Rep. Ryan Williams (R) |
| Government Operations | Rep. John Ragan (R) | Rep. Jay Reedy (R) | |
| Health | Rep. Bryan Terry (R) | Rep. Tom Leatherwood (R) | Health, Chair: Rep. Bob Ramsey (R) |
| Insurance | Rep. Sabi Kumar (R) | Rep. Iris Rudder (R) | Insurance, Chair: Rep. David Hawk (R) |
| Local | Rep. John Crawford (R) | Rep. Dave Wright (R) | Cities, Chair: Rep. Jerome Moon (R)
Elections and Campaign Finance, Chair: Rep. Tim Rudd (R) Property and Planning, Chair: Rep. Dale Carr (R) |
| Naming and Designating | Rep. John Mark Windle (D) | Rep. David Byrd (R) | |
| State | Rep. Kelly Keisling (R) | Rep. Rick Eldridge (R) | Corrections, Chair: Rep. Bud Hulsey (R)
Departments and Agencies, Chair: Rep. John Holsclaw (R) Public Service, Chair: Rep. Esther Helton (R) |
| Transportation | Rep. Dan Howell (R) | Rep. Mark Hall (R) | Transportation, Chair: Rep. Sam Whitson (R) |
| Committees | Chair | Subcommittees |
|---|---|---|
| Rules | Rep. Pat Marsh (R) | |
| Ethics | Rep. Curtis Johnson (R) | Ethics, Chair: Rep. Pat Marsh (R) |
Education level among members
Among Republicans, around 30% of all members hold no degree beyond high school completion, less than 20% hold a Master's or other post baccalaureate degree, and less than 10% have a law degree. Among Democrats, of whom there are a substantially lower number, 15% hold no degree beyond high school, around 30% hold a Master's or other post baccalaureate degree, and 25% have a law degree.[6]
Diversity among Representatives
November 2020 saw the election of first openly LGBT+ people ever to hold seats in Tennessee's state house of representatives,[7] Democrat Torrey Harris and Republican Eddie Mannis.[8] Before November 3, 2020, Tennessee was one of just five states in the nation (others being Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana and Mississippi) to have never elected an out LGBT+ person to its state legislature.[9]
Of its 99 members,[10] twenty-one were women[11] in 2020. Representatives Harold Love[12] and Raumesh Akbari hold leadership roles in the National Black Caucus of State Legislators,[13] in which eight Tennessee state lawmakers are members. Akbari is also a State Director with Women in Government, as is Brenda Gilmore.[14]
Past composition of the House of Representatives
See also
References
- ^ https://www.tn.gov/hr/employees1/benefits.html "Benefits". Tennessee Department of Human Resources."
- ^ "Speaker of the House of Representatives - Tennessee General Assembly". www.capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
- ^ Allison, Natalie; Ebert, Joel. "House Speaker Cameron Sexton officially sworn in, succeeding ousted Speaker Glen Casada". The Tennessean. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- ^ "House Leadership - TN General Assembly". www.capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ "Legislative House Committees - TN General Assembly". www.capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ "House Members - TN General Assembly". www.capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
- ^ Stockard, Sam; November 4, Tennessee Lookout; 2020 (November 4, 2020). "Legislature sees little change but first LGBT members". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|last3=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "For The First Time, Tennessee Voters Elect Two LGBT State Lawmakers". WPLN News - Nashville Public Radio. November 4, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ "Tennessee – yes, Tennessee – just elected out LGBT+ lawmakers for the first time". PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service. November 4, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ Inc, US Legal. "Tennessee State Legislature – System". system.uslegal.com. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Women in State Legislatures for 2020". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ "Harold Love". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ "NBCSL | State Leadership". nbcsl.org. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ "Gilmore & Akbari elected to leadership role with Women In Government". Nashville PRIDE, Inc. January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
External links
Officers of the State of Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|
| Executive offices | | |
| Legislative offices | ||
| Judicial offices | ||
36°09′56″N 86°47′03″W / 36.1656°N 86.7841°W
| International | |
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| National | |
